Mark Glover's blog includes reviews of the latest motor vehicles introduced for sale in the United States, his take on various aspects of the auto industry and periodic insights on auto racing at home and abroad.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Just call the 2014 Equus 'Hyundai to the Max'

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews
also can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – via the “GALLERY:
Reviews of new cars” link at www.sacbee.com/business

This review originally appeared in the March
2014 edition of theNorthern
& Central California Cruisin’ Newspublished out of Folsom,
California – mg

Sacramento, California – Not that
long ago, I would have said it was impossible for Hyundai to build a car that
was anything close to the 2014 Equus sedan.

I can now say without shame that the
recently tested 2014 Equus Ultimate is every bit the player you would find
wearing the badges of Acura, Lexus or Mercedes-Benz.Incredible, but true.

For the record, it’s priced like one
of those luxo-laden autos.My ride had a
bottom line of $68,920.And I can tell
you with a straight, cold-sober face that the lofty price is absolutely
justified.

Standard features?I’m talking about electronic active front
head restraints, a digital heads-up readout that shows vehicle speed and the
presence of cars rolling close to your left and right rear bumpers, a smart
cruise control system with auto stop/start technology, LED turn signal indicators,
a parking-assistance system linked to a rearview camera, premium leather
surfaces throughout the cockpit, a heated steering wheel with leather-and-wood
trim and a primo navigation system, including cemeteries marked by a tombstone
icon.Love that last part.

Keep in mind that this is the VERY
short list of the goodies.It’s a
remarkable package for a South Korean automaker formerly known as an exporter of
automobiles that were little better than shell-covered roller skates.

The exterior look is classy-sporty,
with the sporty side getting a major bump from are-you-kidding-me 19-inch,
turbine-blade polished silver wheels.My
tester drew crowds when parked.It was
that alluring.

On the fly, a 5-liter, the 429-horsepower
V-8 dished out power and performance in ever-pleasing doses under the command
of my right foot.Power was not
necessarily rip-roaring but smoothly spread out like spilled honey.Most four-wheel pretenders simply fell off
when I asked the Equus for full power during freeway commutes.

And yet, cockpit noise was
minimal.In-car conversations that can
be heard among five people with plenty of room to spread out.Simple pleasures there, but kind of hard to
find in full-size sedans today.Kudos to
Hyundai engineers.

Fuel mileage was, uh, not so great
at an advertised 15 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.The Hyundai warranties, per usual, are
excellent.

Remember that this 2014 Equus is an
upgrade of a previous-generation car, but upgrade doesn’t really cover it.Quantum leap is more appropriate.

Would I buy an Equus against
comparative hardware made by Lexus, Acura, Infiniti or Mercedes-Benz?I’m not sure I can answer that, but the fact
that the Equus is even in that discussion speaks volumes.

The Equus is what I’d call “Hyundai
to the Max,” and yeah, the max is pretty magnificent.

Auto Enthusiasts

About

Mark Glover has been a professional journalist for 40 years. Since 1984, he has worked for The Sacramento Bee in California's capital city. He was the paper's auto editor from 2000-08, reviewing hundreds of motor vehicles during that time. His reviews currently appear at sacbee.com and in the Northern & Central California Cruisin' News published monthly out of Folsom, California. He is a former director on the board of the California Autombile Museum in Sacramento. A lifelong auto racing fan, Glover has attended the Indianapolis 500 since 1961. He has an extensive Indy 500 collection of programs, tickets and badges.